Two Iraqis civilians were killed on Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near a commando patrol in Baghdad. Three other civilians were injured in the blast, which occurred in the southern part of the city.

Not far, another police commando came under fire from gunmen, wounding two Iraqi police as a result. Another roadside bomb, which exploded on the Saydiya highway just outside of Baghdad, injured one civilian as well, according to Reuters.

In a separate incident, an assassination attempt was made on the life of Kirkuk Police Chief Khitaab Omar when a suicide bomber attempted to blow up his motorcade. The attack, which took place north of Baghdad, resulted only in minor injuries to Omar and several of his bodyguards.

Tuesday's violence comes one day after a deadly car bomb attack killed 20 people as they shopped along a busy street in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. An American soldier was also killed on Monday by a roadside bomb which exploded in the Haswa area. The attack brings the US death toll in Iraq to its highest since last January.

Talabani to oppose use of Iraq for possible US attack on Syria

Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani announced on Tuesday that he would not permit US troops to launch attacks on Syria from Iraqi territory in a possible future military campaign.

"I absolutely reject that Iraqi territory be used as a launchpad for any military strike against Syria or any other Arab country," Talabani told Al Sharq Al Awsat in an interview.

Talabani has long-standing relations with Syria and in the past operated from Syria against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. "I will not say a word against Syria which I owe a lot to," Talabani stressed.

He went on, however, to note that such a decision was not completely within his control, adding "But this is my personal opinion and my capabilities are limited in confronting America's might."